the stone angel

At long last we escape from our prisons. " Throw your heads back in laughter!" shrieks the Sky. "Curse me for keeping such evil hearts at bay for a wearisome thousand years!" Devils bite at our heels but it's only butterflies from here on out, and Teacher shall never hurt us again. School is part of the old world and the woods - our wonderful, forbidden woods - is part of the new. The trees tower over our childlike shapes but I know I feel ten stories taller than a giant, and am free-er than a bird.

As the trees become thicker the Sky becomes less certain, but we hold not a care in the universe as we share our perfect day of escape. Soon we come to a clearing and find a little red wagon sparkling in the evening gloom. It is our carriage, my friend, off we go! We take our seats on feather-stuffed cushions and lace-trimmed pillows and brown Mice come out to pull us to our destination. Every marvelous tree-castle we pass is more lovely than the next, and sooner than you think they will be made of pink diamond and gingerbread cookie. No longer dilapidated huts in the sky, but sprawling fortresses, with little children waving at us from leaf-green shutters. We smile demurely and toss buttermilk toffee.

All too soon we arrive at the very last castle and I realize we had been going in a circle and the Sky had tricked us all. I stand up but the wagon wobbles and tips left-wards onto the garden and there is a hiss and a little boy runs out. "Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do," he whispers to the garden. Suddenly the trees are no longer trees but foot upon foot of snakes, raking at our dresses and pulling us into the house. Run, friend, save yourself! I will never leave you. Go, go, go! I run and run and don't stop until I am out in the open, and School is just a hundred fairy-feet away. Help, help! I turn and there is my friend stuck in the brambles, her little hand desperately waving for my attention. I could have saved her but I didn't and now it is too late, she is turned to stone and I have woken.

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